


here or there

by azvrr



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, but really hyuck confesses, everyone has legit like an action, i live for markhyuck, jaeyong if you squint, oh yh Mark confesses through song...kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-27 00:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10797522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azvrr/pseuds/azvrr
Summary: it's donghyuck's birthday party and he should really be there.but he's here, with mark, watching as the elder fumbles over his words, his face red.(and honestly, he prefers it)





	here or there

It’s June the 6th which means its summer and also Donghyuck’s birthday, and there are two places he could be right now.

The first is back at the crowded dorm, at the party Taeyong has meticulously planned because _it_ _has_ _to_ _be_ _perfect._ He could be there, listening to Michael Jackson on repeat, munching the food that the hyungs apparently slaved over _(although he thinks that’s an overreaction),_ with Jisung and Chenle trying to spray him with all the silly string they could find. His arm could be severely bruised, as the hyungs track him down and each give him hard punches, and two extra for luck, except Taeil, whose punches gradually become weaker because he’d _rather not hurt Donghyuck,_ but honestly it’s because he’s always had a soft spot for the boy. Eating mango rice, having fun and laughing with the people who have built him to be who he is now, MC Ari trying to get them to quieten down before the neighbours complain, and Yuta saying let them because _you only turn 17 once._

This then sets off Johnny and Ten who begin singing ABBA, filling the air with _young and sweet, only seventeen, dancing queen._ That then triggers Jaehyun who goes along with them, his accent, American _(for four years man)_ and almost perfect, except you can hear the Korean pronunciation when he tries to hit the high notes. Doyoung then tells them all to shut up because his ears are bleeding and also because cake has arrived. The lights then dim down, and Jeno and Jaemin come up, the latter, as always, using his t-shirt to make sure the candles don’t blow out. They set it on the table with everyone gathering into the main room, some surrounding the table, some on the sofa and some elsewhere. He feels a hand on his back and turns to see Hansol’s soft smile and big eyes looking down at him, pushing him towards the centre.

Everyone’s holding their breath as Donghyuck stands before the cake, “Make a wish Hyuck,” Renjun calls from behind him, showing him his dazzling grin. He gives a faint smile back and closes his eyes, pondering over what to wish for because life has given him everything he’s ever wanted, great friends, a chance to fulfil his dreams and a place to call home. So instead he wishes for his parent’s heath, for everyone to be happy and for nothing to change. Grinning, he blows out the candles and opens his eyes.

“What’d you wish for Hyuck?” calls Jaehyun from his spot on the floor, in between Taeyong’s legs as the latter plays absentmindedly with his hair.

“His wish won’t come true if he tells you,” says Kun from the corner of the room, his attention going back to explaining something to WinWin. Mumbles of agreement fly around the room and he hears an annoyed whine from Jaehyun as Taeyong releases him and gets up.

“Gather around kids. Time to cut the cake!” He says excitedly, grabbing a pile of plastic plates and spoons, quickly distributing them around the room. A knife with a big bow tied to it is shoved into his hands from Yuta, and Donghyuck slowly cuts the cake. It’s a vanilla sponge cake, with white whipped cream and mango slices on top. In the worst calligraphy he’s ever seen, it says _Happy Birthday to the Evil Maknae,_ and he chuckles at the words. Everyone is around the table now, Jisung’s head leaning over Donghyuck’s shoulder in hopes of getting a big slice. As soon as the first piece is cut, Doyoung immediately grabs it and without hesitations smashes it into the birthday boy’s mouth.

Everyone’s laughing and Donghyuck can’t keep the grin off of his face as he basks in the love given by them. Winwin yells ‘happy birthday’ with his broken Korean right into his ear, probably learnt from Kun, and he keens. The boys are all happy, and begin playing around, throwing cake at one another, starting a mini food fight. Taeyong’s cries of _please don’t, you guys are going to mess up the house,_ is sedated as Jaemin hits his face with whipped cream. For a second he’s in shock but he gathers himself and goes to Jaehyun, whining, which in turn gets him another face full of whipped cream. Ten reaches over and laps at the cream on Johnny’s face like a kitten, whilst the taller one blushes, everybody simultaneously groans and tells them to keep it in their room. The air is filled with happiness and Chenle’s dolphin laughs. The weather is warm and joy is being radiated throughout the room. The atmosphere is almost perfect, _almost._

Donghyuck _could_ be there, or he could be here, with Mark, watching as the elder fumbles over his words, his face red. The ground is swallowing the sun, with no compassion and leaves them in a blanket of purple, pinks and blues. It’s deserted, the streets and roads, most people choosing the smarter option of staying indoors where air conditioning was available. Not that they minded, together, Mark and Donghyuck, had rode their bikes fervently away from Taeyong’s _meticulously_ planned party and to the nearest park, sweat dripping off of their hair.

The elder had asked Donghyuck if they could go somewhere quieter, more private, more them, and the latter agreed, concluding that the hyungs were all there for the food and wouldn’t actually notice the two missing boys and that even if they did it’d only be Taeyong and Doyoung worrying _(that, they could risk)._ The night air was cool and Mark hoped that their eagle-eyed manager would let them off for being out even after their extended bedtime, using the birthday as an excuse. When they arrived to the park, they threw their bikes on the floor carelessly and raced to the big oak tree on Donghyuck’s insistence, and Mark couldn’t, _wouldn’t,_ miss the opportunity to tease the other when he won.

“I let you win because it’s your birthday,” Donghyuck scoffed.

“Dude, it’s _your_ birthday,” said Mark, his laughter bubbling up with the adrenaline the run provided. Donghyuck shoved him lightly and muttered something along the lines of ‘ _belated_ _presents’_ before settling down on the grass, his back leaning on the tree trunk, feet wide open.

“Why’d you wanna come here anyways loser? Depriving me of my cake.”

“Firstly, you should be calling me hyung, secondly,” scolded Mark as he moved closer towards Donghyuck until he’s sitting right in front of him, face down, their toes touching as he imitates his position.

“Hyung? We’re the same fucking age idiot.” Was the quick-witted interruption.

Mark opened his mouth ready to respond, but it hung there because Donghyuck was technically right, so instead he decides to change the subject, “ _Secondly_ , it’s your birthday today and-“

He hears a gasp from the younger and turns to look up at him, “Is it? No shit Canada, I didn’t know.” Now it was Mark’s turn to shove Donghyuck and glare playfully at him.

“Shut up, let me finish, Hyuck. Anyways, as I was saying, it’s your birthday and I got you a gift. No, well more like I _wrote_ you a gift. A song…I got you a song, well no…I mean I wrote,” he stumbles on his words and tries to force his mouth to move along with his brain, which it flat-out refused to do.

“So what I’m hearing is…you bought me nothing?”

Mark pouted slightly, before sniffing, “Shut _up,_ it’s a song, that’s cute.”

“Okay, okay, so you wrote a song for…?” the younger trailed off.

“For you.”

“For who?” Donghyuck replied with feigned nonchalance, pretending he didn’t understand.

Mark flushes a deep shade of red, his cheeks blooming roseate and Donghyuck decides that it’s his new favourite thing to look at in the world, right after the sunset in Jeju but just before Jeno’s eye-smile. “ _Shut up._ For you alright...it was inspired by you and, well, yeah,” he finishes lamely.

Donghyuck can barely conceal his grin by now, “Aren’t all you songs?” he teases thinking back to that one time Jaehyun said _Haechan is Mark’s muse?_ Mark is now torn between two options; either deny like his life depended on it or tell the younger that his lyrics of _when you smile, it’s shining, were_ actually about him, and how his voice melts him and how he’s pretty sure the auburn-haired boy held the galaxy in his eyes. He _wants_ to say the latter, wants to say something really, but instead he decides that no response is still a response and answers with a shrug of his shoulders, indifferent, no denial on his lips. 

It’s soundless for a while and Mark thinks back to the first time he saw Donghyuck, and how the silence now contrasted the younger’s instantaneous arrival, not preparing him for the golden molten that was, _is,_ Lee Donghyuck. Of how he wasn’t prepared at all for the emotional train-wreck that hit him, his accelerating heartbeat or dried tongues. Not for the first glimpse of a brewing blizzard or cold hands on him, burning him, melting him. Not for sunkissed skin, broad shoulders or the constellation of beauty spots splattered against a smooth expanse of skin. Not for the way the younger called him _Mars_ instead of Mark, of how his legs were endless or why Mark couldn’t understand these emotions.

He wonders how the times have changed, and when the boy before him with a maturing jawline and stars in his eyes became a pinnacle focus of his life. When the lingering voice at the back of his head starting sounding exactly like Donghyuck. When he began to feel dizzy and breathless just at the thought of him. He thinks of all these things, somewhat afraid that the loudness of them would fill the silence between him and the other boy, not that that would be a bad thing per se but still. He thinks of all these things and sighs.

 “Sing it for me,” the silence is broken, not by his ramblings confessions, but by Donghyuck’s prodding words.

_(he then remembers that the planets have always orbited around the sun and that’s exactly what Donghyuck is)_

“What?!” Mark reacts, acting as if though the idea, which he made, was the most absurd he’d ever heard, “You want _me_ to _sing…_ for _you_?!”

The younger sighs, his eyes narrowed, playful and exasperated all at once, “It is for _me_ , right?” he asks.

“Right?”

“And it is a _song_ , right?”

“Right.”

“And _you_ wrote it, right?”

“…Right.”

He grabs Mark’s ankle and leans forward, until there face to face, his mint breathe hitting Mark’s lips, “So if you don’t you don’t sing it for me Canada, who else will?” The elder of the two gulps down the fear sitting in his mouth and ruffles his hair as Donghyuck goes back to leaning on the tree trunk.

“Sing.” He once again demands.

He clears his throat, stammering a few excuses of how _it’s not that good,_ and _I made it in like three minutes,_ and _its cringe, so I apologise in advance._ Donghyuck reacted to none of his words, just patiently waiting with an eyebrow lifted, his eyes dancing with emotions which almost look like fondness but that could’ve easily been the light fooling Mark. The younger evidently felt in a more forgiving mood as he closes his eyes, deciding not to speak on Mark’s embarrassment and tilts his face up to the sky.

“Sing it for me, hyung,” he says, but this time softly, gently, giving the other no option other than giving in. Mark gains his courage and fishes his phone out of his back pocket, searching for the mp3 file that had the instrumental he’d made a few days ago to go along with the song. As the tune starts, he decides to focus on the undone laces of Donghyuck’s trainers, biting his lip a few times before beginning.

> _Today is your birthday and I need a sign,_
> 
> _Asking for our stars to be aligned,_
> 
> _But you’re the summer, and I’m dumber than in fall_
> 
> _Everything I say falls right back into everything,_
> 
> _We’re not in the swing of things_
> 
> _But what I really mean is, I’m not in the swing of things…yet_

Mark’s voice was soft, barely audible unless you were giving it your utmost attention _(as Donghyuck was)._ He almost avoided the high notes, choosing not to embarrass himself in front of the younger, but then remembering that Donghyuck was, after all, in a forgiving mood, he hit them. Although he stumbled on some words, after losing track of one of the beats, the entirety of the song was smooth, the words meaningful, making Donghyuck’s heart flutter.

> _Riding around on our bikes we’re still sane_
> 
> _I’ll just stay here, tripping over on stage_
> 
> _Hey…It’s all cool…_
> 
> _I still like your laugh, don’t think that’ll change_
> 
> _Still like your laugh and my newfound fame,_
> 
> _Hey…promise that we’ll stay good?_

Once Mark had finished the song, he dared not to look up at Donghyuck’s face, and _what a shame._  Had he looked up even a bit, he would’ve seen an affectionate expression on the chestnut-haired boy’s face. Would’ve seen the light radiating off of his skin, a carbonated soda smile on his lips and sparking silver undulation swimming in his eyes. He would have seen the love he felt, splayed on Donghyuck’s cheeks and throat and hands.

“I…its…I,” Donghyuck’s voice is hoarse, containing emotions he’s too afraid to let loose. His words a full-stop as he’s unable to define the absolute flawlessness that evidently came in the form of this song.

“It was…?” Mark asks, nervous, his hands now moving to do-up the undone laces on Donghyuck’s shoes.

The latter has no idea what to respond, his eyes trained on the crescent silhouette on the elder’s face caused by the shadows.  And he remembers that it’s all the good things which help save the world and magic up smiles, so he responds with a simple, “Good…it was _really_ good hyung,” thinking that _good_ wasn’t enough to describe the perfection that is Mark Lee.

Apparently though, it _was_ good enough for Mark, because now he had a grin plastered on his face and the courage to look up at the younger. Instantly, he’s taken back, blown away, absolutely shattered at the look of pure love oozing from Donghyuck’s face. It makes him feel secure, wanted, needed, but then again he’s _always_ made Mark feel like that. His almond eyes brewing with a snowstorm that surrounds him, flakes on his blonde hair. Because loving Donghyuck was a moonrise-sunset on a blank canvas and Mark resolves that he’s ready to follow the younger to the depths of hell.

“Really?”

“ _Really.”_ Donghyuck assures.

Mark moves now, so that his back is also against the tree, he leans his head gently down on the younger’s shoulder, twining their arms together, “I’m glad Hyuck that you like it. I was so worried and,” he begins but is quickly interrupted.

“I’d love anything you would’ve gave me Mark.”

His heart skips at the words and his eyes skip towards the boys legs, knees darkened from too many playfights with Jeno and Chenle, contrasting his bronzed thighs.

“Yeah right, you’d kill me if I bought you anything crap,” he snorts, “About you’d love anything.”

Donghyuck elbows his side, “I _would_ ,” he draws the word out insistently.

“You would?”                                                                                          

“I one hundred and fifty six percent would.” He states indignantly, his nose in the air, a playful smile on his mouth.

Mark licks his lips before asking, “And why would you?” He adjusts his body now, so that he fills in all of Donghyuck’s negative spaces, nothing but the rustic air between them. His cheeks are flushed red, from the heat or the anticipation of the other’s response he doesn’t know _(he does)._

“Because,” Donghyuck starts, his eyes full of confidence and credence, causing the other a blocked heartbeat. Mark knew what was going to come, oxygen filling his lungs, as he bates his breathe, holding onto it, awaiting the reply. An arm leaves its place from Mark’s and slivers its way up to wrap around the back of neck, softly, gently. It burns.

“I love you”

The scenery moves then. The trees shivered feely, the wind howled and cried, dragonflies surrounded the two boys, their blue metallic fury entrancing them into a world of promises. But Mark, Mark was frozen. An attack of Donghyuck surrounded him in ways he’d never thought possible, and he thinks he’s seeing the sun in its truest form. The younger’s chocolate eyes were boring into his, causing delay and distraction. His lips were pink, plump and parted open, and Mark longed to feel them against his. The invasion is so surprising that he actually flinches, his eyes adjusting to the exotic colour of Donghyuck that had him dissolving into soft foam. It’s over-dramatic. It’s every scene ripped out of a backwards romance script. It’s all around him and it scorches with such an intensity that he’s faint-minded enough to _want_ a fire to combust and melt their bodies together. But it doesn’t, so he can’t.

“You’re right though, I’d kill you if you bought me something dumbass like a Pikachu key-chain or some shit. Like honestly Canada, what kind of-“

Mark grabs him by the neck, unable to contain himself and his running thoughts any longer, and smashes his lips against Donghyuck’s. It wasn’t an innocent kiss, not like a tease, but hot, fiery and demanding, and Mark was scared he’d lose himself in it. The younger makes a cry of surprise which quickly turns into a small moan, as he becomes more comfortable and opens his mouth, his hands on the ground, steadying him. Their tongues brush each other, and their teeth clash, both somewhat inexperienced at the art of kissing, but he didn’t care. Not when Donghyuck bit down hard on his bottom lips, eliciting a groan from the elder. Mark moves his hands away from Donghyuck’s neck, running his fingers down his spine to his waist, pulling him closer, until there was no space between them.

Donghyuck could feel the Canadian boy’s heartbeat against his chest, and he inhaled sharply as they broke away gasping for air. He’s about to open his mouth, his mind loading him with multiple questions, but Mark leans in once again and his sense are too clouded now to think anymore. This time Mark’s more confident, as his tongues explores deeply into Donghyuck’s mouth, a warmth spreading all over his body. He lifts his hands from the ground, the thought of blonde hair becoming seemingly more attractive, and he tangles his fingers into it, pulling hard. He hears a growl coming from Mark and he loves the reaction, wanting him to want him more. So he breaks their kiss, hands slipping out of the tendrils and falling on the other’s chest, both breathing hard.

He moves his head away, a smirk forming on his lips as Mark tries to follow. He puts a finger up and the elder’s lips brushes it and he can barely hold the chuckle that bubbles up.

“Slow your horses Canada, no need to get _so_ excited,” he teases, his eyes briefing glancing at Mark’s strained pants, “Besides, you still owe me another gift.”

He adjusts himself, so that his legs were crossed, “Seriously, dude wasn’t me writing a long ass _(ride)_ confession, telling you how much I’m completely and absolutely in love with you down into song lyrics _and then_ singing it for you not enough?” he says, exasperated but not surprised.

Donghyuck looked at him as if the boy was a stranger and they weren’t the best of friends for six years, “No.”

Mark rolls his eyes, his cheeks narrowed as he tries his hardest not to laugh, “Okay I _did_ get you something else,” Donghyuck beams at this, “But you have to promise not to kill me.” he finishes whilst retrieving a metal object from his jacket pocket. 

A Pikachu keychain.

“I swear to God, Mark Lee. No, no, I refuse to accept this,” Donghyuck starts as the cold keychain hits his hands. “What kind of mockery, honestly I shouldn’t even be surprised, everything you get, _everything,_ is always the absolute worst. First the dictionary and now this!”

Mark leans in closer to him, and brushes his nose against the younger’s, hoping it would quieten him down. It did, “But I got you,” he says in what could be a good attempt at aegyo, if you weren’t Donghyuck and if it was actually good, “And you’re the _absolute_ best.”

Mark is pushed backwards, and he nearly falls to the floor before catching himself, his laughter is filling the air and Donghyuck’s lungs, his jaws hurting from the grin he’s fronting.

“Mark Lee?” Donghyuck spits out, his eyes wide, “More like Mark leave, like right now. God you’re so embarrassing, how are you even alive?”

“Sheer will and my love for you,” is his quick, albeit cheesy, response, the last words dipped in extra sweet honey.

“Stahp, I feel so…attacked.”

“Okay, okay, I don’t have anymore anyways, I’m sorry,” Mark chuckles. Donghyuck simply just shakes his head in feigned disgust, before stretching his hands out and deciding to lean his head on Mark’s legs. The position is comfortable, and Mark instantly threads his hands in the younger’s auburn hair.

“Whatever, I’ll give Pikachu to Taeyong hyung, apologies for allowing you to whisk me away,” Mark opens his mouth, protests about to fall from his mouth before Donghyuck continues, “So…we gonna tell the hyungs or?”

This sets off Mark who begins talking about how Donghyuck truly _was_ his muse, how he could hear the younger singing it and every time they met or spoke it would trigger the ‘ _lyrical genius’_ within the blonde _(“shut up, you are not a lyrical genius” “am too”)_. How his young words did not go unnoticed by Johnny hyung who spread it like a wildfire around the dorm. How he went to Taeyong hyung a million times checking his lyrics, his eyes warm whilst Jaehyun teased him endlessly for being so sappy. How Taeil hyung, who helped with the composition, stayed quiet, nothing but an endearing smile on his face, at the small slip of Donghyuck’s name. How Jeno simply punched him on the shoulders, after hearing the final cut, muttering a _finally_. And the worst, Ten, who had made him promise not to touch a hair on Donghyuck’s head without his excess permission.

In the midst of his messy words, he untangles his fingers from Donghyuck’s hair and unknowingly _(or perhaps knowingly)_ began to trace the lyrics all over his body. On his thighs, on his jaw, on his lips, Donghyuck could feel the words being written all over him, engraving Mark’s confession forevermore onto him. He’s too busy, staring up at Mark, who had his eyes closed, a soft smile on his lips, to humour him a response. The sky is a climatic navy, the stars peeking behind a gradient of clouds, shining down on them. Mark’s blond hair looks platinum, and he’s immediately surrounded by an ethereal feel. He thinks just like how the moon was weaved onto the canvas of the world, glowing for them, shedding light, Mark is the same. Always there, always happy, making _him_ happy.

“Are you even listening to me?” Mark questions, his eyes narrowed as he peers down at a grinning Donghyuck.

“Yeah.”

And he is. He sits, he looks, he listens and he decides that he’d rather be here, with Mark and the darkening skies, where it’s not _almost_ perfect. It just is.

**Author's Note:**

> my first fic omg. i hope you all like it and emm???? yeah. i tried so hard to give everyone at least an action rip. and i had to throw in jaeyong because i love me some jaeyong. also i have no clue why taeyong is mentioned so many times, like there was even more taeyong and i was like ?why? probs because he's my bias lol.
> 
> ANYWAYS: this was heavily, but not really at all, inspired by Lorde - Still Sane  
> so idk i might just do this markyuck (maybe jaeyong) thing were its like playlists that remind me of them? although the song has nothing to do with markhyuck, its just a good song and starts off with 'today is your birthday', like mark's whole song is this which is why it's not? very? romantic?? so yeah that :)
> 
> ANYWAYS [follow me on twitter!](https://mobile.twitter.com/lltyong)


End file.
